Stars of the Show was created specifically to showcase the All Stars collection from Tula Pink. I adore this quilt. I have a major thing for rainbows, and the colors in All Stars hit all the right buttons for me.

Quitting Detail-Stars of the Show

I spent a lot of time custom quilting this quilt. I really wanted to have fun in the negative spaced. For me, this quilt is circus themed, with the striped and dotted star points looking like big top tents, and the animals starring in the center ring of each, so some fun curves were in order.

I fussy cut each animal to fit in the center of each block. I machine pieced my quilt, but it would also lend itself to EPP as well!

And of course who could forget this stunner, Heat Wave! featured in the RJR What Shade Are You blog hop, American Quilter picked up the pattern. It can be found in the January issue of AQ Magazine.

Heat Wave – American Quilter Magazine

I’ve got so many more updates and quilts to share, as well as a brand new website that will be launching in the summer, so stay tuned for all the quilting goodness. You can still pick up a signed copy of my book, Child’s Play Quilts, on my Etsy site. and keep posted for my teaching and lecture schedule. I am speaking at least once a month for the next year, and I can’t wait to share my quilting cruise experience in August!

Northern Lights started life as a QDAD design. When Elizabeth Hartman released Rhoda Ruth (her very first fabric collection with Kaufman) I just ADORED it. And still do. I love rich, vibrant jewel tones, and since my good friend Anne introduced me to the joys of navy as a background, I love them even more! I knew when I saw it that I just HAD to make something with Rhoda Ruth and started digging through my files. I landed on this beauty from Aug 30th. The inspiration photo was a bunch of root veggies-carrots and radishes I believe.

As you can see, the final design took quite a departure from the original. It took a couple versions to get the paper piecing just right. I REALLY wanted to have the chevron shape at the end of the point, instead of just a straight across piece. Would it have been easier? Yes. Would it have looked as stellar as it does now? Not a chance!

I wanted to try and showcase as many of the Rhoda Ruth prints as possible, for the most part because I couldn’t narrow them down much, and then paired them up with the coordinating Kona Solids.

The quilting took me a while to think of, but I finally went with a combination of freehand designs that really made the quilt pop! I changed thread for each color of stars (a lot of winding the quilt top back and forth for that!) and quited some dense straight lines in the star points and then some pebbles in the center solids for texture. The background I went with a freemotion swirl between the stars to represent the motion of the night sky, clouds and wind. Then I chose an elongated piano key for the outside edge, giving the quilt a faux border and adding some additional visual texture and interest in the solid background. This is why I have a love/hate with solids, because you can have some amazing quilting stand out but you need amazing quilting because it will stand out. Makes total sense, yes?

I love that the quilting hides the seams of the blocks so you can’t tell it’s on point. I don’t know why I love that, but I do =)

You can find the May/June issue of McCall’s quilting on Newsstands now. I really hope you give Northern Lights a go! It’s one of my favorite quilts to date =)

I am so happy to be writing tonight, because I finally get to tell you all about my new online only pattern series with American Quilter Magazine!

We set this up back in November, when I made the Whirlpool quilt, and I have been working away since then on a 5 quilt series. The patterns are downloadable on the American Quilter website, just click here for a direct link. The pattern series will use a variety of techniques, from applique to paper piecing, and will cover a broad range of skill levels.

First in this series is Photobomb.

Photobomb is one of my favorite designs. Originally for the book that never was, AQS liked it a lot and agreed to use it as the first quilt in the series. It combines traditional lone star construction with raw edge applique and an improv layout. I always thought this quilt would look great resized as a baby quilt in rainbow colors, so I might have to make one and see if I am right!

The quilt was inspired by one of my favorite placed to take photos. The walkways are cement square tiles with inlaid rock mosaics spaced out around the center fountain. The fountain has a beautiful carved sunburst, which always appeal to me and my love of stars.

My good friend Joan at Maple Leaf Quilters did an amazing custom job for me. The white areas are all quilted in a freehand paisley, the black borders have a ribbon candy pattern, and the stars segments are filled with orange peel echos. I just love it!

The layout possibilities are endless with Photobomb. The background can be plain solid, or pieced with smaller sashes, the stars can be put anywhere you want, borders can be replaced with facings, the list goes on!

I am going to be offering this quilt as a workshop, so if you or your guild is interested, please feel free to contact me. I have a lot of tips and tricks to share and techniques to teach.

As usual, I want to see what you are making! Tag me on Instagram @staceyinstitches, #photobombquilt, send me an email, or upload your quilt to the Stacey Day Quilts group on Flickr.

EEEE!!!!!!! I am so happy right now you guys!! That is my quilt, Whirlpool, on the cover of American Quilter Magazine!! *happy dance*

Okay….breathe in and out….okay…I’m good!

This is one of the big things I have been working on in the last few months. After the book was canceled (see this post to read all about it)I started submitting designs to different magazines. The first place I contacted was American Quilter MAgazine. I have had a subscription to AQS magazine for years. I love every issue, there is always something for me in them. And the subscription comes with membership benefits, like digital content, web bonuses, and access to back issue articles and pattern files.

My shelf of American Quilter Magazine. 4 years worth plus a random Jan 2007. I am slowly filling in my back issues as I find them!

I was stunned and thrilled at the reaction to my design submissions. Michele, the Editor in Chief, was so supportive and just awesome to work with. We played around with some ideas ( I had a lot!). Then Kim@I Adore Pattern told me she had sent some fabrics to AQS to help promote her line, Tidal Lace. So I decided to mock up another quilt using her fabrics and sent it off to Michele. Everyone loved it, so off to production we went. Whirlpool was a go! Windham was totally awesome and generously provided fabric for the quilt.

One the top was done, however, I was a little stuck. How to quilt it? My usual long arm quilter was on vacation at the time. A finished quilt post in one of the modern quilting Facebook groups led me to Mandy Liens of Mandalei Quilts. She is a super talented quilter in NY state, and I loved her work. We got to talking, and she came up with this amazing quilt job for Whirlpool! She took my quilt and brought out the best in it, which is what a good quilter does. She even has some Craftsy classes you can take for quilting (super talented!)

A snowy day at the park

The day of the photo shoot it snowed. Which is very unusual for Vancouver, but it was also the only sunny day that week ( its the rainy season. I have a half dozen things that need photographs. STOP RAINING!) So off we tromped to the park!

I am so happy with how Whirlpool came together. The entire process was great! the March Issue hit newsstands today, so go out and get yourself a copy! Or better yet, become and AQS member! Because for the rest of the year, I have a web bonus series of patterns coming out with each issue! AND with a membership you can download an EQ7 design file to color your own version of Whirlpool! YES!! As well as get all the awesome content that is members only. You also get the 6 magazines a year. (Disclaimer: AQS did not ask me to promote for them, I just think it is an awesome publication and have subscribed for year and never been disappointed!)

You can order a copy of the magazine here, and if you want to make your own just like mine you can ORDER THE KIT HERE! YAY!!!!!! Thats right AQS loved the pattern and fabric so much that they decided to make it a kit! Kim and I were over the moon when we got the email, and I still cannot believe it!

This is my very first published pattern, and I am so excited to be able to FINALLY share it with you!

I always have quilt designs floating around, and when Fat Quarterly put out a call for submissions for their scraps issue, I knew exactly which quilt to make.

Presenting Putting on the Ritz!

Putting on the Ritz

We took the pictures over the holidays at my parents home. It’s always a gorgeous winter wonderland up on the mountain. Nothing like fresh air and snow to get your heart going! It also makes the perfect backdrop for a fun, colorful quilt shoot.

You can’t see it from here, but there is a drop off behind the bend that goes down a few feet. My darling hubby scaled the embankment just so I wouldn’t have footprints in my pictures. I’m a lucky gal!

You can find Issue 16, and pretty much any other Issue, here. The Scraps issue is chock full of fantastic scrappy patterns that will bust through those scraps in no time!

I would love to see your version of Putting on the Ritz! Send me a photo of the completed top or quilt and I will be sure to share it on the blog.

Welcome to my world of quilting fun! I am a quilter, author pattern writer, and designer. My book, Child's Play Quilts, is available at your LQS or online. You can find my collection of free patterns in the tabs below. I love to hear from my readers, so feel free to drop me a line! Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoy your time here at Stacey in Stitches.